Posted by Film piracy is becoming more common in Nigeria, and Nollywood star Femi Adebayo is worried about it.
On Tuesday, Adebayo shared the details of his experience and his recent victory over movie piracy on his Instagram profile, @femiadebayosalami.
The illicit actions of movie pirates, he pointed out, had prevented the film industry’s dividend from being maximized.
The Nigerian film industry has grown at an exponential rate, but Adebayo lamented that “dare devil pirates who reap what they sow” were to blame for the industry’s failure to fully capitalise on its potential.
For this and other reasons, investors are wary about committing capital to filmmakers. We may, however, gradually cease their operations by being persistent and making use of the legal structure that covers intellectual property.
Movie pirates have taken advantage of me several times, and I have never forgiven them. I have just finished a legal struggle with a well-known media corporation that distributes video on YouTube and runs a major radio station.
When “Survival of Jelili” was playing in theaters in 2019, it did rather well. Deceiving fans and taking money that should have gone to me, they used my movie poster and title to promote a film on their site.
Despite the passage of three years, my faith in the judicial system did not weaken. Bola Adebowale & Co. Legal Practitioners has a committed staff of attorneys that have extensive expertise in issues like these.
They brought the matter to trial by presenting indisputable facts and a compelling argument. The case’s trajectory was significantly influenced by their timeliness, effectiveness, and meticulousness. The sum of twenty-five million Naira was granted to us after we won.
“This is a victory for all of Nollywood, not just for me as a filmmaker and content producer.”
Filmmakers, in his opinion, should be prepared to combat piracy and intellectual property theft on every front.
With each victory, he said, “We are getting closer to protecting and getting the true economic value of our works.”